UPDATE 2 - 4 Palestinians killed by Israeli army, illegal settlers during West Bank raids

UPDATES WITH LATEST CASUALTY NUMBER; REVISES HEADLINE, DECK, LEDE

By Qais Abu Samra and Betul Yilmaz

JENIN, Palestine/ISTANBUL (AA) – Four Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army and illegal settlers in the occupied West Bank on Wednesday, the Health Ministry said.

The ministry said in a statement that three people were killed and seven others injured by the settlers in Kafr Malik village, northeast of Ramallah, central West Bank. One of the injured civilians is in critical condition.

According to the official Wafa news agency, dozens of Israeli settlers stormed the village and burned vehicles of Palestinians.

The Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission, settlers launched 415 attacks in May alone, including armed raids, property damage, and road blockades that fragmented Palestinian territory.

In a separate incident, a child was killed by the Israeli army in the northern occupied West Bank, medics said.

The Palestinian Red Crescent Society said a 14-year-old Palestinian succumbed to live bullet wounds sustained from Israeli gunfire in the town of Yamun, northern Jenin.

Witnesses told Anadolu that the army forces stormed Yamun and searched homes and stores of civilians, which led to confrontation.

Another Palestinian was injured when the illegal settlers assaulted him with rocks in the village of Asira al-Qibliya in Nablus, northern West Bank, said Hafez Saleh, the head of the village council.

Settlers also set ablaze nearly 10 dunams (1 dunam = 1,000 square meters) of farmlands and opened fire on locals who tried to stop the attack, Saleh added.

Separately, Israeli army forces withdrew from the Ya’bad town in the northern West Bank on Wednesday after a 16-hour military operation, witnesses said. During the assault, Israeli forces raided several homes in the town and interrogated dozens of residents before detaining several people.

Mayor Amjad Atatreh said army forces closed all entry points to the town and imposed a curfew during the raid.

“Several homes were turned into military barracks, and the residents’ valuables, including gold jewelry and money, were seized by Israeli forces,” he told Anadolu.

The Israeli army also raided the city of Jenin, searched several stores in the area, and fired tear gas canisters at residents, according to witnesses.

Since the start of Israel’s assault on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023, at least 977 Palestinians have been killed and more than 7,000 injured in the West Bank by Israeli forces and illegal settlers, the Health Ministry said.

In a landmark opinion last July, the International Court of Justice declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territory illegal and called for the evacuation of all settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.